The always adorable Lily Allen is getting ready to launch her new, reworked vintage clothing line. Her line is called Lucy in Disguise. A cute play on the Beatles song I presume.

Designer Wayne Hemingway a summer festival celebrating British music and fashion. Sandie Shaw, Heaven 17, Aswad, Buzzcocks and The Damned will be some of the acts performing at Vintage at Goodwood in West Sussex in August.

Earlier this year, Allen had announced she would be taking a break from music. Her new endeavors include this collection of reworked vintage clothing. She is partnering with her sister and some friends.

I know people often criticize celebrities who think they can launch a clothing line, act, sing, and basically anything under the sun. But in the case of musicians, I think they actually have a firmer connection to fashion than actors or socialcelebutantes like Paris and Whitney.

Gwen Stefani has been very successful with her L.A.M.B. line. I own a few pieces and the quality is pretty good. But the reality is that I buy L.A.M.B. because Gwen Stefani's aesthetic and style is similar to mine. A musician uses fashion pretty much the same we do - as an extension of their influences and to express themselves. While onstage costumes are exaggerated for presence, it's easy to translate that look to the real world. With the exception of Lady Gaga, although her sunglasses are flying off the shelves.

Many musician/fashion icons come to mind - Debbie Harry, Cindy Lauper, Madonna. Can you tell I am an 80s baby? Granted none of these women designed a line, but they sure have gone down in fashion history as being highly influential in their style.

Reworking vintage is not new, and am quite surprised Allen has decided at this stage in her career that she wants to redesign vintage, of all things. She obviously really loves vintage looks. I hope Lily Allen is educated enough in fashion history not to go and redesign important pieces. I wait on pins and needles to see her stuff.

I'm curious what do you think - do musicians have what it takes to launch a fashion line?

photo L.A.M.B. Spring 2010/Coutorture.com

I don't know one vintage dealer or collector who doesn't fantasize about walking into someone's basement and finding a room full of hardly used, or never used, vintage fashion. It's the stuff urban legends are made of. But in the case of Circa Sixty Three designer, Danielle Insetta, it was an incredible twenty ton find that led to a fashion forward, vintage jewelry line.

I was able to snag an interview with Danielle of Circa Sixty Three who is gracing the pages of WWD Accessories and Marie Claire with her colorful baubles. I love plastic jewelry and collect it myself - Bakelite and Lucite mostly. Many jewelry designers are highly influenced by vintage plastic jewelry including Alexis Bittar. Danielle talks about the big score, her inspiration, and how to find and care for Lucite.

How on Earth does one acquire 20 tons of Lucite jewelry?

You have to search for it and know what you are looking for. There are plenty of vintage beads out there, but to find a stash this big you have to do some research. All of the beads and bangles in our collection originate from the same plastics factory in Providence, RI. I first found the beads in a bead store. I dug around a little online and in a few collectors' books and found the name of the original company, Best Plastics. The dead stock had been stored in the warehouse of a wholesale bead dealer who I came across in my research. Not only did I find the rest of the dead stock in Rhode Island, I found some of the original factory workers. They were able to verify my research on the company. It turns out the company made parts and jewelry for Trifari, Missoni, Diane von Fürstenburg, Lanvin and Givenchy.

Can you describe the collection?

We named this collection "Frontier" because it is inspired by the future and science. It is inspired by the shape of molecules and planets. There is an element of sci-fi throughout the collection. The color palette is sophisticated with a touch of whimsy. For example, we use a bit of neon here and there. The pieces are definitely statement pieces that can be worn for any occasion, whether it be to a dinner, a night club or even to work. They are very versatile. Definitely collectors' pieces, especially due to the fact that the beads are vintage and that the pieces are extremely limited and completely handmade.

Not everything in the collection is original dead stock Lucite. Some pieces are new pieces made from vintage Lucite. What inspires your designs?

I design 100% of the beaded jewelry. The bangle bracelets are the only pieces not designed in house. They are original. I am generally inspired by the space age and the 1960s. I am inspired by the designers of the day such as Paco Rabanne and Andre Courreges. I want to be true to the era in which the beads were manufactured and the designs that were being produced in the day.

Vintage fans will always love Lucite jewelry. How has the rest of the fashion world reacted to the collection?

The collection is novel. There is nothing like it out on the market. It does incorporate trends and is relevant to what is happening now in fashion, but it truly is unique. The main buyers of our wholesale jewelry are high end luxury department stores in the US, Europe and Japan. They are looking for something new. I think that we have seen the same look for several seasons now, and it is time for a change. It does not hurt that Lucite is insanely popular right now. Many, many designers are using the material in their jewelry.

Can you tell us a bit about how to identify Lucite and how to care for it?

Lucite has a certain weight to it as well as a special optical quality. It is not like Bakelite in that it is synthetic. Lucite can be distinguished from ordinary plastic in that it does not have seams. Plastic is poured into a mold which leaves a slight seam on one side. Lucite is carved out of a chunk. It is sculpted using lathes and similar machines so there is no seam. One great thing about Lucite is that if it is scratched, that scratch can be buffed out very easily with a plastic polish. Polish can be found in any hardware store. Lucite is also known as acrylic.

I was so happy to finally get to write an article for my monthly column for Today's Vintage Magazine on a dear friend and vintage fashion colleague, Marc Joseph. Marc is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. And his unwavering enthusiasm for vintage clothing and this crazy business is so inspiring.

I drove out to Palm Springs, the location of his new Secret Back Room, one sunny afternoon to interview him for the magazine, but more importantly, to catch up on his latest desert adventures.

Here's an excerpt from the article - hopefully it will entice you to go read the rest...

When you think of Palm Springs, visions of mid-century glamour and architecture spring to mind. The playground of modern design, poolside celebrities, and cocktails is the new home of vintage collector and dealer, Marc Joseph. Joseph has left the bright lights of Los Angeles for the warm sands and statuesque palm trees of mid-century Mecca. After several years of running his exclusive vintage clothing show room on Beverly Blvd., Joseph opened a unique show room called "Secret Back Room". It's the type of place that only the fashionable people "in the know" have access to.

Tucked away in a private suite off Palm Canyon, Secret Back Room is bursting at the seams with vintage treasures from names such as Mainbocher, Trigere and Mr. Blackwell. The collection even features some of the most collectible 80s designers such as Thierry Mugler and Gianfranco Ferre. There is also an impressive collection of shoes ranging from 1930s baby doll pumps and 1970s patchwork boots to designer footwear such as Ferragamo loafers. Recently, the Russian shoe museum, Shoe Icons, purchased a pair of 1920s pumps from Joseph for their collection.

Marc is having a vintage fashion show on Saturday, February 20, as part of the closing weekend of Modernism Week. Tickets are still available. I'll be there!

Nothing screams California luxury and glamour like the retro, mid-century rooted city of Palm Springs. The Parker Palm Springs is a boutique hotel designed by vintage inspired wonder-designer Jonathan Adler. Where else in the West is pink the color du jour?